Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-12-18

~N NNN-~N NSHN $500 1890
ptes after the court convinced they
had been tried and sentenced to be hanged.
The charge, of which they were not allow
ed 3 copy, but which YVES read to them,
was that of entering the island for the
proven purposeof bringing aid and comfort
to the insurgents against the government
OF the country" Having had no opportu-
nifty of defending themselves, and knowing
the coWardly character Of the Spanish SOL
diery, the prospect did not look very cheer
lul, but they received a ray of hope when
informed that the Captain-Ge General Of
Havana would have to sign the verdict Of
the court before the sentence could be car
ried into effect.
The TAILOR considered them too poor to
interest himself as to their welfare, but
sent an old negro slave, morning and even
ing, with q loaf of black bread and a
pitcher of water; at noon they received q
bowl Of soup and a small piece of meat.
The cell was too dark to write in, and even
if that had been possible, pen and paper
were not in their possession, so other means
had to be found to inform the American
consul at Cumberland harbor of their cap
ture. The naval officer had become pretty
we'll sOhered after the sentence Of death
had been passed upon them, and all
possible means of escape were discussed,
he proposing ut last to try to
prevail upon the old negro woman to aid
them. The next morning when the old
lady made her appearance with the meagre
repast he commenced his Establishments,
and it was probably the peculiar Jersey
accent with which no spoke Spanish that
at first induced her to listen. For four
days, three times a day, the army officer
was q silent listener to the most scientific
love making that can be conceived, and
the eloquent man-of-war's man with
his honeyed tongue had a venerable
daughter of Ham in the tolls. She,
old enough to be his mother, be-
lieved every word he spoke and
brought him q pencil and a sheet of paper
to write a note TO the consul. He wrote
| Uncle Sans representative a letter, asking
him to call, aud with fear and tremblingi it
was entrusted to his sable agent. An hcur
afterward the door Of the cell opened and
in it was thrust a young sailor somewhat
under the influence of liquor and bear
ing on lis bloody face the evil
dences of q brawl. He spoke English,
| and said that he was the third assist
ant Engineer on board the English
blockade runne that he had gotten into o
row with q custom house officer and had
broken that gentleman's head; had been
arrested by the police and so became their
cell mate. In o very little while they had
pumped him dry of all the information he
could give as to his ship, her cargo estina-
ton, etc, and gave him their story in
return-that is, he believed they did. The
Jolly tar gave them all the news wished
for, and they could not have got it from a
better source.
The following day the American consul
came, and at his request they were allowed
to see him in the guard room of the Jail.
At first the gentleman doubted their state
ment. but rs one carried in the button OF
his blue shirt a photograph copy OF an or
der sigued by the Secretary of War and
Navy and countersignsd by AbrahaIa Lin
coin, President of the United States, iu-
styucting all government officials TO assist
him whenever called upon, he changed his
conversation and promised that he would
see that their lives were saved. They never
saw that gentleman again, but his promise
given TO the men under sentence of death
was nObly kept.
The ninth day OF their incarceration the
president of the Court-maItial paid q visit
to their cell, accompanied by \ Spanish
priest. He read a paper purpOrtingto be
an order for their execution on the second
day following ut Sa. H., signed by the
Governor General. They did not sleep any
the following night.
A 3 o'clock p. NJ. on tie day before the
final performance OF the prisoners upon the
last stage of life was to take place, they
heard the salute guns of the man-of-war
~reSouDdirg through the Jail and the sable
sweetheart Oi the prisoner informed him
that o "frigate Americana" had anchored
OIL the city.
An hour after the cell door was thrown
open, and the braSs-buttoued uniform o!
an American officer looked like the garb OF
an ~archangel. Their deliverer had come;
they were placed in the centre Of q squad
Of United States marines AMI marched to
the sea landing. During their walk the
p~opulace surged and yelled around them,
and, angry at their escape from the gal
lows, assaulted them with the lowest abuse
the Spanish language is capable of supply
ing. An armed boat OF the frigste re-
csiyed them, and they will never forget
the deep satisfaction OF standing again safe
} and sound upon the deck ola vessel flying
the American flag. The commanding Of
icer informed them that he had given the
authorities of Cumberland harbor one
hour to deliver them up, with the declara'
ton that be would open his battery upon
the city at the expiration Of that time il
his wish VAS not complied with.
The Jail authorities were disappointed at
their release, as the gallOws had been bull
and their labor had been this time at least
in vain.
Thanks to the information given wher
in prison by the engineer Of the blockade
runner, this steamer was captured wher
attempting to run into Mobile, Ala. The
worst deceived person was the old colored
servant girl OF Cumberland hsr6or Jail, a;
the naval masters mate failed to keep hi'
promise, sclemnly given, that he would
marry her if she aided him in securing hi
release. But ne had a good excuse. HI
was slready married TO Anew Jersey lady
ALBEIT DE LEUR.
How She Reads the Paper.